Of Fight and Fancy
by littlemisscass
Summary: In the year 1977, James Potter and Lily Evans fell in love. But before that, there were fights and fancying. There were incidents with pumpkin juice and chocolate pudding. And, perhaps most importantly, there were declarations. Of what? Well… that's a secret. But they were rather momentous.
1. Golden Boys and Black Sheep

_[Author's Note: I don't own anything I write about because I'm not that brilliant and I don't actually know the ways by which I can be that creative (my last name isn't Rowling). I hope you enjoy.]_

* * *

_**Chapter 1: Golden Boys and Black Sheep**_

_As far as girls go, Lily was not particularly noticeable. She was quiet and not the type for raucous behaviour, and her smile doesn't hide a scandalous alter ego; she was, quite unsurprisingly, an average teenage girl._

_As far as boys go, James Potter was extremely noticeable. His acclaimed 'pranking skills', easy-going personality and boy-next-door good looks made him one of the most popular boys at Hogwarts. In Lily's eyes, he was a git. In everyone else's, he was a nice bloke._

_In the year 1977, James Potter and Lily Evans fell in love._

_But before that, there were fights and fancying. There were incidents with pumpkin juice and chocolate pudding. And, perhaps most importantly, there were declarations… of what, well… that's a secret… but they were rather momentous._

* * *

Little children often complain that the shades, shadows and ghouls inhabit the space right beneath their bed. They don't. Shades, shadows and ghouls… well, they're just fancy ways of saying ghost. And ghosts don't actually haunt or scare people. Why would they do that? I'm not exactly a malevolent person and if I were killed, I wouldn't terrorise others. Really, some people make up the most horrid and insulting stories.

I should know all about that; ghosts, ghouls and goblins, I mean. Goblins, well, they aren't the most hospitable bunch, but they are quite nice if you get to know them. Right, yes, the reason I know all this stuff.

The thing is, I'm a witch.

Now, I don't have a pointy hat (I wore the Sorting Hat on my first night at Hogwarts, but haven't worn one since). Or a wart. Or a really horrible nose. My nose isn't the best of the lot but, I must say, I don't look like a hag. My aunt Gladys, she does look like a hag. Poor woman. She's not even a witch.

I am a regular witch. One of many my age. You probably know one; there are lots of us. We blend in, so you might not have noticed. I look just like an average girl; I'm stuck with red hair, green eyes, an abnormal nose (it's not all witches, just me), awkward coordination and slightly pointed ears. The slightly pointed ears, they're not elven or anything; just a little less rounded than most.

Plus, I'm muggleborn. So I don't even have any magic blood in me. I'm just special I suppose.

* * *

_Harriet Grafton and James Potter were in love. They weren't the most normal of teenagers, nor were they the least. The pair, who once held platonic feelings for one another, developed affection, which led to love. She was horrid and he was charming. He was popular and she was power-hungry. She was crazy and he was crazy for her. Love blinds, it manipulates, and it changes people. Harriet Grafton was never changed by love. She remained exactly the same because, despite her assertions to the contrary, she did not love her boyfriend. Not one bit. The truth came out after three years of ignorance being bliss, two days before the end of the holidays. James was distraught (rather bravely, for he was the disastrously formidable James Potter and didn't like to seem vulnerable), Harriet felt free. So, the day that they were both scheduled to depart for Hogwarts, Harriet flounced her way onto the train platform to meet her friends and James hurtled down the train, flinging himself into the first compartment._

* * *

"Um, hello?"

James cringed and turned toward the offending voice (mine). He frowned me. I was curled in the corner of the seat, leaning against the wall. Face half-covered by my book, a muggle classic (Tess of the D'Urbervilles), and hair hanging like a thick curtain around me, I was indistinguishable. I could have been anyone. Anyone but Harriet, thoughts of whom Daniel was desperately attempting to ignore (as everyone knew, since they were Hogwarts' 'It-Couple' of the month).

"Hi?" Git. As if he was going to be nice this year. James Potter had never before tried to be nice. Another Marauder prank, probably.

"You realise, you're in _my_ compartment."

"Your compartment? _Yours_?"

Royally irritated (I was finally getting to the best part of the book – the drama that ensues when Tess reveals her past to Angel Clare), I snapped at Potter. "Yes, mine. It's not as if you actually want to be here. Go away."

"Here, literally or figuratively? Because I'm quite happy being here literally, but figuratively…" Potter smiled jokingly, still not recognising who I was. The book was, after all, obscuring the majority of my face.

"Oh shut it. Go away."

He had the audacity to look hurt. "What?"

"I said, go away."

"I know what you said, but why did you say it?"

"Because we hate each other, git. Go away."

"We… hate each other? You do realise that I'm James Potter…?"

I finally put the novel down. The boy was so exasperating. Raising an eyebrow, I frowned. "Oh yes.. I do. I hate you, you hate me. Now, go away, you git."

"Evans? You aren't Evans. She's… and you're… but she's… wow."

"Of course I'm Evans. I mean.. I'm Lily. Just shut up and go away."

"You're… wow." Still flabbergasted, Potter mumbled under his breath (mumbling for him is quiet speaking for most people).

"Yes, you said that. Thanks, I suppose. Now leave."

"Leave?"

"Kat will be here soon, and if I haven't murdered you by then, she surely will. Now, do you want that? No… I thought not. Now, go away, Potter"

James sighed and left the compartment, slamming the door in his wake. He'd been beaten by my (marvelous) wits. It was always like that; always the same banter, the same hatred.

* * *

Continuing down the train, James babbled to himself, "But that wasn't Lily Evans. No… that was... she was... What on Earth had happened to that girl in the last few months…? She was always… but now… huh."_  
_

* * *

"Nothing? You did nothing all holidays? Come on, Lily, even for you that's a little morose."

Kat and I were facing each other in my compartment, a selection of lollies around us. No Bertie Botts, though, I learnt my lesson second year… those things have some disgusting flavours.

I hadn't seen my best friend since I'd left King's Cross at the end of the last school year, though we'd traded many a letter by owl post. Quite possibly the most stunning girl at Hogwarts, Katherine Levinson was willowy and tanned, quite the opposite of my deathly pallor and average figure. Dark hair hung straight to her shoulders and Kat's brown eyes glinted warmly.

"Exactly, it was lovely. Relaxing, peaceful."

"And what happened to your face? And your body? Because, love, you were pretty before… but now? Wow."

"Nothing happened."

"Denial. That's a new one." My best friend was acting exactly the same as Potter. I didn't understand it – unless some hex had gone miraculously wrong outside – but I did know what she was talking about. I'd grown into my ears and the sun had dusted freckles across my nose; I was a bit less horrid looking, but nothing like they'd been suggesting.

"I'm not in denial. I didn't do anything. I sat in my room all day and read books. I occasionally went to London and hung out with Sirius. That's all, I swear."

"But… you…"

"Gosh, what is it with everyone today and how I look?!"

"Everyone? Everyone, who?"

"The git. He stumbled in here looking all depressed, so I knocked him down a peg or two. Took him a moment to figure out who I was, though. 'Wow', he gushed. Gushing? Really? What is the big deal? Nothing changed." I hated Potter. So much. And now he had to invade on my conversations with my best friend? No… even if Kat had been friends with him for an eternity.

"Love, you are not the same girl that went home in June with a stack of holiday homework and an innocent smile. You've changed. Somehow, I know you have. Plus, I know it's been three years, but I can't believe you're friends with Sirius Black… it's so bizarre. You two are complete opposites. You're a normal sheep and he's a black one."

"I haven't changed that much. The innocent smile might be gone, it never would have lasted much longer in a town full of hormonal teenage boys… but I'm still me."

"FULL OF… can I move in with you?"

"Do you want to live with Petunia and Vernon?"

"No?"

"No."

I'd had to move in with Petty, my sister, and Vernon, her fiancé, during the summer. Our parents had passed away in a car crash five months prior and it was the first time I'd had to spend time at home without them. I'd loved my parents more than anything and they were gone. Petunia had treated me like a freak, and even called me it to my face, since I was accepted to Hogwarts. Vernon just called me 'girl' and tended to ignore me as best he could. A joyous holiday in that house.

"Fine.. well, at least spill the beans. What happened between you and all these boys then?" Kat shot me a wink, grinning widely. "My little Lily finally becomes a woman. I'm so proud. Took you long enough!"

"Oh dear, no. Not like that. Maybe a little like that. I'm lying. You're right. But it wasn't a big deal. Just for fun. It was just a friendly snog."

She loved giving relationship advice, despite the fact that she openly avoided all relationships. She knew that boys only wanted her for one thing, so she let them and avoided the awkwardness of pretending to be dating the lot of them. "Friendly snogging.. Love, it never ends up as friendly. Someone is going to fall for someone and I have a feeling you're not the one who'll be hurt."

The girls jumped as the compartment door slid open. Sirius Black, friend to Lily and best friend to James Potter, sauntered in, sat down and slid an arm around Lily's shoulders.

"Do you mind, ladies?"

"Yes." "No."

"Which is it?" Bemused, the boy glanced between his two fellow Gryffindors.

Kat shook her head. "Girl talk." She and Sirius were one and the same in attitude toward the opposite sex, yet they still didn't get along all too well.

"So it is 'no'. The infamous girl talk, wouldn't want to get involved with that. Don't forget to mention me, Evans."

Sirius returned to the hallway, smirking all the while. As soon as the door was shut and the boy gone, Kat turned to me with wide eyes.

"LILY GRACE EVANS. WHAT DID YOU NEGLECT TO TELL ME?"

I shrugged. "That.. uh… it might have been Sirius during the holidays. But I stopped the snogging affair a few weeks ago. I did. I promise." It wasn't such a big deal. Just two friends who got bored, not that I'd tell Kat that.. she'd use it as another reason to hate him.

"A snogging affair? You dirty dirty girl." Kat let out a chuckle, "I never would have pegged you for it. Well done, though. Nice catch."

Lily sighed. "I suppose. We're better off friends. It was a laugh and we had fun… but it wasn't love and it never will be. For either of us."

"Sure sure. You wait, love. You wait."

"No."

"Yes."

"No!"

"Yes!"

"NO!"

* * *

"Did you hear something?"

Sirius dropped his motorcycle magazine and snatched his best friend's discarded quidditch one. "Nah."

"Sounded like a shout." James poked his head out into the carriage hallway, straining to hear the voice again.

"Probably the birds. Girl talk." Chuckling, Sirius beckoned his mate back into the compartment. "Don't worry about them, they're probably plotting your demise again."

James sighed. "Having a crazy girlfr- ex-girlfriend is one thing, but having three potentially-sane maniacs 'plotting my demise' is different. Mate, it's just wrong."

"You love them, admit it. Besides.. there's only two of them for now."

"I do not. Alright, I'll concede that they're evil plotters. And because of that, they do have some admirable traits. But the girls themselves? Utterly repulsive."

"Repulsive? You've been stalking Evans since we met her."

"You're daft, Black."

"It's the truth, Potter."

James shook his head, not wanting to admit his friend was utterly correct. He had been obsessed with Evans since he'd seen her on Platform 9 3/4 before first year. Changing the subject, he asked, "Where's the third one?"

"Bird Number Three is probably already at Hogwarts with Daddy."

"Oh, goody. Another year of nepotism from the Muggle Studies professor. I love school. Remind me why I came back this year?"

"You're my best mate."

"Oh, that. Might be reconsidering right about now."

The mates chuckled, returning to their respective magazines.

* * *

"So, let me get this straight… you… and Sirius.."

"YES. Alright? I said yes about a thousand times. Get over it. No big deal. Friendly."

"Sirius. Sirius Black?" Still gaping, Kat shook her head in consternation.

Why was it so difficult to understand? Ugh. "YES."

"Right. Fine. Friendly. Got it." She still didn't appear convinced.

"Mmm.. good."

I returned to Tess and the Durbeyfields, still contemplating Kat's earlier notion. We didn't like each other like that. No. Mates, that's all we were. Good, right, yes. That's all we wanted to be. Mm… did we?

"So what about your monstrous crush on Golden Boy?"

In that moment, I really hated my best friend.

"What about it?"

"You still like him?"

"Uh, yes?"

"Right. Got it." She usually wasn't like this, all short-sentenced and doubtful. Excitable was a more appropriate word.

"Got what?!"

"Well, love, there was a bit of hesitation. You do still love Golden Boy, don't you?"

"There is no one more perfect than Daniel Walters." It was a fact. He was the most perfect boy in the universe. Blonde and blue-eyed, tanned and athletic, Daniel would one day be mine.

"That didn't answer my question."

I protested, tucking my red hair behind my ears. "It so did! Yes, I still like Daniel. I've fancied him since we were 12. I don't think that'll change anytime soon."

"Love, you're going to hate me for saying this, but… why wouldn't it?"

"It's Daniel… I mean-"

"Yes, yes it is." We spun, facing the unexpected entrant.

Smiling manically, my cheeks flamed. "Uh, hey, Daniel. How were your holidays?"

"Good. Went to Paris, learnt some French." He was so tall... and attractive.

"Wow… Paris… Eiffel Tower… croissants." I stuttered. Kat coughed, smirking.

"Yeah, it was good."

"Cool." Cool? What was I, twelve?

Daniel smiled appreciatively. "Yeah."

"Well, you crazy kids, I'm just going to… go… meet some friends." Kat shot me a wink and ignored the protests on her way out.

"What friends?"

"Haha."

The door slammed shut.

I smiled up at the Ravenclaw prefect. "So…"

Daniel smiled sheepishly. "Well, you see, I came to ask you something."

"Really? That's so nice…" I giggled nervously, "I mean, what did you want to ask?"

"Uh, well, it was, uh, if, uh, you, uh… had done the holiday homework?"

"Daniel, You came to ask me if I've done the holiday homework? You, the top of the class?"

"Uh, yeah?"

"I did it, yes."

"Ah, good. I mean, yeah, that's good. Homework should be done. The teachers like it, I think, when we actually do work."

I rested a hand on Daniel's arm. "You alright there? You're kind of rambling…"

"Rambling? Yeah, I s'pose. Well, you see, I actually wanted to ask if you'd, uh, like to sit with me at dinner."

"Dinner?"

"Yeah." He fidgeted nervously.

"Like a date?"

"Yeah?" More nervous fidgeting.

I beamed. "Yeah."

"Yeah?"

Laughing, I grimaced. "I think we've clarified that. Yes. Yes, I'll sit with you."

Daniel lit up. "Really?"

"Oh wow, let's not do this again."

"Alright. So… I'll see you later?"

"Definitely."

As he departed the compartment, Daniel smiled at me one last time, making me break out into her own grin.

Life was wonderful sometimes.

* * *

Life sucked.

It majorly, majorly sucked.

Not only did his ex-girlfriend have to be a lying whore (he was angry, she wasn't really that much of a whore), but James was also unlucky enough to go to the same school as her. Every day, for the entire year, he would have to see Harriet. Smiling face, lying face. Flirting with boys, hugging boys, kissing boys. It was infuriating. Not that he still loved her, he couldn't. His heart was in about a thousand pieces and lay on the floor of Harriet's bedroom, the epicentre of the disaster.

"Black Sheep, why so blue?" Kat hugged him in greeting. They'd been mates forever, even if she teased him relentlessly. It wasn't really her fault, it was Evans, stuck-up priss that forced his torture. It wasn't really torture, but at that moment, sitting alone on the train, listening to his ex's demonic cackles, life sucked. Majorly.

"Kitty Kat, you haven't changed one bit."

"I have too. My hair is exactly eight inches shorter and a completely different colour. You're still an arrogant prat." Kat patted his head patronisingly.

"An arrogant prat? Hmm, maybe that's why she dumped me."

"Dumped you? Who dumped you? Not… Harriet. No."

"Yes."

"What? That little bitch."

James' amused smile almost reached his eyes. "Amen, sister."

"Wow."

"Yeah." He turned to the window, watching the sky begin to turn dark.

"This year really is going to be interesting."

"Perhaps."

Kat smiled evilly. "Oh, I hope so."

* * *

The prefects' meeting was most often the bane of my trip on the Hogwarts Express. I had to ditch my best friend. I had to sit in a room with Slytherins, including my ex-best-friend Severus Snape, all of whom mouthed off on my blood status. Just because I am a muggleborn does not make me inferior; I aimed to prove this fact when NEWTs came at the end of the year. Prejudiced gits.

However, this year, it was not the bane of my trip and existence.

This year, I was Head Girl.

Quite shockingly, when I'd received my Hogwarts letter for my seventh and final year and the badge fell out, Petty had hugged me. Possibly because she was proud, but probably because she could tell her friends that her sister had earned the best position at her 'freak school'. But that was Petunia… I was used to my older sister. Ever since I'd gotten my first Hogwarts letter at eleven years old, Petty had been jealous, and from jealousy came spite. I didn't like to rehash the past in most instances, particularly ones concerning Petunia.

And yet, I did not know who had been selected as Head Boy. I'd secretly hoped it'd be Daniel, but he didn't have the pin on, so I'd quickly supposed that it wasn't him. Remus Lupin, my fellow Gryffindor, was an obvious choice, he was studious _and_ popular, but Sirius hadn't mentioned anything over the summer holidays… in fact, he'd properly avoided the subject, spouting random quidditch facts whenever it came up.

By the time I'd changed into my school robes, pulled out the schedule for rounds and examined the quality of my nail polish, the room had filled with prefects old and new. Remus, Daniel and Severus were all there, sans Head Boy badge. My fellow Gryffindor kept glancing at the door, as if he was nervous.

Just as I was about to call the meeting to order, wherever the Head Boy may have been, the door slammed open, revealing a slightly disheveled James Potter.

And he was sporting the badge.


	2. Prefects and Promises

[Author's Note: Characters aren't mine, interpretation is. Also, sorry for the shortness of it, but the next chapter will be a bit longer. It was going to have a bit more in it, but I feel like that was where it should end. Anyway, hope you like it. I'd love any more reviews, the first two were really helpful.]

* * *

**Chapter 2: Prefects and Promises**

"Am I late?"

James Potter sauntered, as he always did, into the compartment. Chucking his bag (empty, I later found out, except for a few pieces of gum and an abominably written letter from his cousin Wilfred) onto the ground, he perched on a chair and looked around expectantly as he ruffled his messy dark hair. Potter had never been on time in the six-odd years that I'd known him and obviously this year would be no different.

"No, Prongs, we're all just hanging 'round here for fun." It was to Potter's credit that he didn't flinch at the obvious sarcasm coming from one of his best friends. Instead, he stood, clapped Remus on the arm and gestured for me to begin the meeting.

"Alright, everyone. I know the majority of you would rather be elsewhere," I shot Potter a glance, "so I'll make this as quick as possible."

General conversation about rounds, Hogsmeade and duties lasted all of five minutes, excepting the asinine questions from the new prefects.

"How does one exactly take off points? Do we have to actually see the person doing something bad?"

"Do our badges change colour with the seasons?"

Finally, I ushered out the younger prefects and began to set the room to rights. I wasn't a control freak – _I wasn't_ – but it was really annoying that seventeen year olds couldn't keep a room neat. Several chairs were overturned (I didn't even want to ask why) and one or two even sat atop a table. I was about to rectify the situation when both chairs were pulled swiftly away and returned to their rightful position on the ground by Potter.

Usually, I would have snapped at him for, well, something, but the distant, haunted look in his eyes betrayed the fact that he was only in the compartment with me in body. I shuffled away and collected the papers I'd laid out, only for everyone to ignore. Grabbing my bag and heading to the door, I was blocked by Potter, the only one left in the Prefects' compartment.

"Uh, Lily?" His sheepish look prevented me, once again, from a biting comment. _What was wrong with me? _Was it compassion that I felt for the git? I was debating between 'No, I'm a nargle' and 'No, I'm Sirius Black' when I nodded and Potter spoke again. "I just wanted to tell you that, uh, I'm s-sorry for being late. It won't happen again."

"It's fine, Potter, but see that it doesn't."

"You know I've been going through some personal stu-"

"Relax, Potter, I said it was fine."

He let out a relieved sigh, sliding his hand through his hair in nervousness. "Right. Sorry. I prepared a whole speech and thought it, uh, might end better if I finished… so I kind of wasn't listening to what you were saying. I thought you'd just be telling me that I'm irresponsible and the like."

I grimaced and shook my head; Potter looked so… defeated, standing there, staring at the floor, in his rumpled Hogwarts uniform with that crushed look on his face. "You are an irresponsible git," he looked up, "but I understand. As long as you promise to do better, I won't make any unnecessary rows with you. And I hope you'll do the same."

"It's a deal." I finally got a genuine Potter smile. We'd been at school together for years and this was the first time we'd even spent so long talking (principally because he's constantly a git). It was also the first time he'd ever smiled at me. Not that that's a good thing. But co-workers ought to have a decent rapport between them, if you ask me. I was so entrenched in my thoughts (a burgeoning friendship vs. a fight that ended with bludgeoning) that I jumped when Potter spoke again, "I've matured, you see."

It surprised me, as words that fall out of my mouth often do, when I didn't question him.

"It's funny, but I do. I don't know how, but I do."

"Yeah, it's funny what someone breaking your heart'll do." I looked up and saw Potter's eyes focused right on my own. His double meaning wasn't lost on me and I was sure he knew he was doing it, from the genuine look of anguish in his eyes. It wasn't my fault he'd been such a git for the entirety of the time we'd known each other… and I didn't trust that any random event might trigger that horrid side again.

I grimaced and, quite uncharacteristically, pulled Potter into a hug. "It'll get better."

"How can you know that?" My hair muffled Potter's words, but his tone was desperate and broken. His arms tightened around my waist.

"Because you have friends that are going to help you through it. You have a wonderful year ahead."

He twitched away, placing himself as far away as possible (which was difficult when he was placed in the small space between the door and I). Potter choked out a laugh and leant against the door, "Friends. Right."

"What?" What had I said?

"I'm beginning to think that this year is going to be worse that all the rest combined."

"Why?"

"You." With that one word, the door slammed open and Potter fell unceremoniously to the floor, landing on top of a very surprised Peter Pettigrew, the formerly absent (and always shy) fourth Marauder.

* * *

"Wormtail... what were you doing?" Potter was back on his feet, leaning against the wall, "We were talking."

"Sorry, James. Sorry, Lily. Honestly, I was just looking for you. I couldn't find the others and I knew you'd be here," Peter mumbled hesitantly. He was small of stature and shy by nature, but he fit the Marauders, oddly enough. He was funny, I knew, and sweet.

I smiled reassuringly. "Really, it's fine. I'd better be going. Potter and I were done, I think?" I looked at Potter questioningly. He nodded.

As I made my way out of the carriage, with what I thought was my bag, I heard Potter whisper fiercely to his friend.

"Merlin, Peter, I was this close! I was that close to telling her! I don't know whether I should be angry that you interrupted or glad that you stopped me."

Telling me _what_?

The compartment I had earlier shared with Kat now also contained Remus and Sirius, to my pleasure. We always had fun together, as a group, when Potter wasn't around. We were practically mates.

"Lily Evans, what brings you here?" Sirius shot me a wink, smirking.

"Avoiding Marauders... unfortunately, I'm quite horrid at that." I joked, causing the other three to laugh. Opening my bag, I found it empty. No. Not empty. There was a letter, detailing a perfectly horrid summer to a cousin from a bloke named Wilfred (I knew no one of that name and certainly didn't have a male cousin), and three pieces of expired gum. Definitely not my bag... Potter's. I sighed. "Get my bag back from Potter, will you?"

I shoved it at Sirius and threw myself down next to Kat. He chuckled and left with Remus. Kat turned to me, eager for more news.

"Where were we?"

* * *

"There she was, Padfoot, being all nice and caring… and, and… alluring. How can she be like that? How?" James had been ranting to the Marauders for two hours and, now that they'd finally gotten off of the Hogwarts Express, Remus and Peter had disappeared and he was left with his best mate. "You know her well enough, you spent the entire summer with her."

Sirius grimaced. James had no idea that that was a subject he did not want to discuss with his best friend. He'd had enough trouble explaining why Lily had given him the bag to swap, let alone their... friendship.

"Uh… I s'pose. Didn't do much chatting, really. Not much in common." He coughed, stalking pointedly toward the castle. "Better get a move-on, don't want to miss the carriages."

But James meandered, taking his time, collecting the two lost first-years and sending them on their way. There was only one carriage remaining by the time he'd finished with what he supposed were Head duties, come to think about it. However, the carriage was already occupied. Unfortunately, it was occupied by Evans… and Golden Boy.

Golden Boy was a prat. The biggest prat. He was annoying and horrid and stupid… and every other negative adjective James could think of at the time, plus plenty of expletives. James couldn't even remember Golden Boy's name; the bloke was that prattish. It was in that moment, of jealousy, because Evans preferred the company of a nincompoop, that James realised he had not thought about Harriet Grafton in a good three hours.

And he threw himself into the carriage, surprising the pair, who were deep in what had appeared to be conversation.

"But you don't mean that pumpkin juice is better than orange! Orange is much nicer." Evans turned, finally looking at James. "Don't you think, Potter?"

He spluttered, already far too deep in self-pity (for her being his co-Head and his recent break-up) and jealousy (Golden Boy was such a prat) to reply.

"Exactly. See, Daniel, Potter is speechless just because you prefer pumpkin over orange." She beamed, lighting up her whole face, even half concealed by the shadows of the night. Golden Boy shot him a disgusted look, to which James took little offense; he was just glad that Golden Boy had been wrong.

"Sure. So…" Golden Boy smirked, looking pointedly at James. "Are we still on for dinner tonight?"

The carriage jerked forward, sending Evans careening onto James' lap. It took her a minute to right herself and push him away, but there was a second where their eyes met, faces inches apart, and it was marvellous. James winced. He'd promised himself not to pine this year, he'd promised himself that he would focus on his own relationship… the one that had just, quite horribly, ended. Yet, as Evans stared up at him, all resolve flew out the figurative window. He really meant what he'd said on the train. She'd be the death of him… he knew it.

"Lily?" The third occupant's voice threw the pair out of their trance, Evans returning to her seat and James turned his eyes to his shoes. "Dinner… tonight?"

"Of course. Yes."

James glanced up. "Evans, you do realise, that you have to sit with the Gryffindors. At least tonight. You aren't going to abandon your house tonight, of all nights. Who else is going to welcome the First Years? As Head Girl, you really think you would've remembered that."

"Oh. Uh, right. Sorry, Daniel." She had the nerve to look guilty. As if she really did fancy the prat. Ugh. Then she turned to James, her eyes glinting bloody murder. Her voice hushed, she whispered menacingly, "Potter!"

"What? I'm right."

"Yeah, I know. Sorry." Apologetic now. That bird went through a million emotions a second. "I forgot."

Golden Boy perked up again, still a class-A prat. "So… tomorrow at lunch?"

"I'd like that."

"It's a date." The lovebirds, James realised sickeningly, both smiled shyly at each other, the boy much too cunningly for James' liking. He was about to protest and make up some excuse against that time, but the carriage stopped and Golden Boy jumped out. "I'd better go. Have to meet my mates. Bye Lily. Potter."

He lumbered off, leaving James behind with Lily. Evans. Her name was Evans, not Lily. No. It was much more casual and friendly, calling her Evans. Right. Yes. The Head Boy shook his head, ridding himself of the stupid train of thought.

"Can you believe that, Potter? Can you?" Lily grabbed his forearm excitedly. "He asked me out!"

James grumbled, nodding. "Yes, Evans, yes I can."

"Isn't it wonderful?"

"Yeah, I s'pose it is… Evans?"

"Yes, Potter?"

"I'm glad you got Head Girl."

"I'm glad you got Head Boy."

The pair shared a smile and continued up to the castle, Lily humming, quite out-of-tune, the melody to an old Kinks song. The night was mild and the sky sparkling as James walked slowly, unable to decide whether this would be the best year or the worst.


	3. Jealous Feastings

[A/N: I am so sorry this took me so long. I've been away in Africa for the past month, so I haven't had any opportunities to write much. It's been in the works since I posted the last chapter, honestly. But here it is, and quite a bit longer than the other chapters, I think. I hope you enjoy, for I do love a good Jily fic and hope this is one/will turn out to be one. Lots of love.]

* * *

**Chapter 3: Jealous Feastings**

_Percy Willard was perfect in almost every way. She was kind, quiet and unnaturally pretty; Percy was gifted, most unfairly, with the combination of curly blonde hair and chocolate brown eyes. She was curvy but not overweight. Percy was neither popular nor ostracised. She'd been dating Robert Townsend, a seventh-year Ravenclaw, since fourth year and they were excessively happy. Her father, Professor Willard, was well liked and known to his daughter's best friends as Barnaby. Percy, the perfect and pureblood witch, appeared to have no faults except a brief dalliance with James Potter in the summer holidays between fifth and sixth years. That one mistake had ruptured her relationship and caused an immeasurable amount of gossip, and yet, Robert had forgiven her, some other drama occurred, and all went back to normal. It seemed that Percy Willard was practically perfect, bar a small lapse in judgement. A lapse in judgement that would, surprisingly, help her calm Lily Evans when she arrived back at Hogwarts for their seventh year, for Lily was freaking out because of the utterly confusing and altogether odd alteration in personality of James Potter._

* * *

The first and only thing I registered before Percy enveloped me in a bone-crushing hug was James Potter's smirking face. Squealing happily, she let go and stepped back, as if to see if I'd changed markedly since the term before. As we crossed the short distance that remained between us and the castle, passing through the enormous doors and inside, I caught Percy up on recent gossip, including Potter's niceties, my summer… leisure activities, the fact that I did not look any different (despite everyone's professions that I did) and Daniel. Ah, Daniel.

* * *

"Welcome, welcome. Welcome back to another year at Hogwarts. To the Seventh Years, I hope that this year will bring all that has eluded you in the past. To the First Years, I hope that Hogwarts is all you imagined it to be." Dumbledore offered a stern look, seemingly out-of-place on his usually smiling face. "We do live in a dangerous world, as you possibly know quite well. Alas, the Light can and will prevail over the Dark. Love can and will conquer hatred. Whilst this is true, we must be careful. Prefects will do rounds each night and teachers will be on the look-out for students out of bed."

I saw Potter turn in his seat. He grinned, winking at me. How I was going to put up with him was beyond me. Yes, our compromise of acquaintanceship was in place, but I wasn't so sure that I could handle him around all the time…

"Have a wonderful year, students. Let us eat!" Face finally tweaked back into a smile, Dumbledore swept his hands into the air. The feast appeared on the four House tables and the teachers' one.

"You'd think after seven years I would have gotten used to this." This was the last Welcoming Feast I'd attend. I hastily wiped away an evil little stray tear; it was just that Hogwarts was such a large part of my life by that point, I wasn't crying. Definitely not, I told myself. I turned to Percy and found her talking to Rob. I knew Kat was deep in conversation with Remus and Potter, so I just stared at my plate. A cough interrupted my antisocial behaviour. The three of them were glaring at me.

"Evans, you can talk to us… we aren't were—...nargles, waiting to make your brain fuzzy."

"Were-nargles? Never heard of them…" I smirked and, ignoring Potter's guilty face, faced Remus. Unable to conjure an intellectual topic, I was forced into asking, again, about his summer holidays as the smartest Marauder spluttered and quickly replied that they had been good but uneventful.

* * *

I had, until the moment of his entrance, forgotten the existence of Peter Pettigrew. He was a kind boy, quiet but nonetheless sweet, who, despite being a fully-fledged Marauder, tended to hide behind his friends, not out of cowardice, I think, but out of shyness. However, because of these remarkably normal qualities, he was quite forgettable, and, thus, due to his unappearance on the train and at dinner, I had merely not considered the possibility that he was, in fact, being missed.

"PETER!" Sirius' voice echoed down the Great Hall, causing numerous heads to rise from their conversation to look at the slightly open doors and the small, stout boy standing half-inside the room. Quickly following him, much more gracefully and subtly, was, surprisingly, Severus Snape.

I'd never known the pair to hold a civil conversation, the pair being in Slytherin and Gryffindor, respectively, resulted in obvious animosity, yet they looked rather chummy as they split up, Peter shuffling quickly to his friends and Snape, my ex-friend, turning to his own table.

Remus looked as shocked as I felt, leaning toward Peter, once he'd sat down, with a whisper, "What was that about?"

It seemed as though the boy had not eaten in months, considering the rate at which he filled his plate and began gorging himself upon the food. Peter didn't even pause in his chewing to answer the question, "...sssschnape, er, wonnned ssschome hewwwp wif eeesch hewmwerrk."

"And he asked you for homework help?" James chimed in, surprised.

The boy merely shrugged and continued consuming the pile of food in front of him. Remus and James returned to their conversation about a quidditch game they'd wanted to see during the summer but hadn't managed to get tickets for, a game I'd just happened to go to with Sirius, who was talking to Kat. By the time I told them that it had been absolutely riveting - as Potter was commenting - and they'd begun to drill me for details, I had completely ignored the fact that I had called Potter 'James' several times in my mind since I'd sat down in the Hall.

I was lamenting upon this obviously horrifying fact when he - POTTER, not James - began insistently poking me on the arm. I didn't question why he was immediately sitting next to me when I swore he'd been sitting across the table and Remus had been beside me.. I just shot him a very dirty glare and asked, oh so politely, why he had to be such a prat.

His face went from cheerful and amused to blank and, dare I say it, a little bit hurt, in a blink of an eye.

I sighed. He was such a git, making me think of him as James, instead of Potter, and poking me... and... "What did you want, Potter?"

"Oh, uh, Golden Boy is staring at you."

"...Thanks?" I looked over at his house table and did manage to find the boy smiling at me. I waved lightly and was rewarded with a grin.

"Couldn't the two of you get a room? The looks he's shooting you are practially indecent. Merlin, Evans, give a bloke a break. I'd rather not be put off the rest of my dinner."

I groaned. "Can't you just leave me alone, Potter? I've had enough. You've still got that enormous ego and... uh... you just want everyone to be in love with you, not anyone else."

I didn't even know what I was saying. Where were the words coming from? Why was I...? The prat just blinked, unfazed.

Imitating the majority of idiotic, overly-obsessed Hogwarts girls, I put on a high voice. "Oh no! Potter can't concentrate because icky Lily is looking at someone. How dare she? Doesn't she know that his attentions should all be on us?"

Potter slammed his cup onto the table, spilling pumpkin juice onto a few bread rolls, and stormed out of the Great Hall.

Remus cleared his throat, "I thought you two were getting along."

"So did I... so did I."

"Then...?"

"He was just being a... a... conceited git."

Sirius grimaced, turning his attentions away from one of the multitude of Weasleys and rejoining our conversation. "You mocked him about his love life. I'm pretty sure that hurt a bit more than you thought it might. First Harriet... now-uh... yeah. Harriet."

"What? Now what, Black?"

"Hm?"

"You aren't a very good liar. Remus? Peter? Will you tell me?"

"Hm?"

"Useless, all of you."

I felt guilty. I did. Potter was an alright bloke sometimes... he was... and I suppose he didn't really deserve the verbal thrashing I gave him. Potter had had his heart broken by his girlfriend and I was rubbing my new romance in his face. I shouldn't have expected much more, quite honestly.

Perhaps it wasn't that anyone was dating... perhaps it was that I was dating... no. The git had had a ridiculous crush on me for years. Thank Merlin that he was over that…. and yet, with the way he was glaring mercilessly at Daniel, I might think… but no. Definitely not. How ridiculous.

* * *

As I made my way to the Gryffindor common room, I managed to have a proper conversation with Percy and detailed the events of my holidays, hearing about hers also. The Willards had spent most of their time travelling the small villages of Western Europe for ancient magical texts, which the younger Willard deemed vastly underrated information when compared to my summer fun with Sirius and potential relationship with Golden Boy. And, of course, how I felt about James being Head Boy... because _apparently_ that was important to discuss.

"He's going to ruin it. He is. He's so annoying and irritating and attractive and-"

"What did you say?" I sent her an uncomprehending look.

"I said he's annoying and irritating..."

"You said that he is attractive."

"I did no..." But as I was beginning to refute what I thought was an obviously untrue statement, I reviewed what I'd said and paused on the stairs in shock. "He's not... I don't..."

Percy laughed. "Merlin! You fancy James Potter!"

I glanced around, making sure that no one had heard her, "Shh! Firstly, I do not. Secondly, you don't have to make everyone think I do. Thirdly, he's a git. Fourthly, even if I say he's attractive, it doesn't mean that I fancy him. Fifthly, I have a date with Daniel. Sixthly, why would I like James Potter? I mean, he's just so..."

"So... sexy? And smart, funny, athletic... do I have to list any more, because, honestly, I would say that most girls would jump him for possessing all of those qualities, let alone deny fancying him. Plus, _sixthly_? That's taking a list a little too far, don't you think, Lil'?" My best friend shot me a questioning look.

I responded carefully, "...I can admit that he has certain... estimable qualities... but I don't fancy him. I don't." I wasn't trying to convince myself. No. Potter was a jerk and I hated him. Always had, always will.

She laughed again.

"You keep saying that. I certainly never thought I'd go there, even if I did think he was exceptionally... well, I have Robbie now and everything is marvellous, now isn't it? If only you'd consider James..."

I began to zone out as Percy continued to detail his good looks, intelligence, Quidditch skills and hilarity, and only began to listen once again when we reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, gave the password and climbed into the common room.

"...perhaps give him a chance?"

My gaze fell on the half-destroyed common room that lay in front of me and I didn't bother responding to Percy's question. Sirius, coming up behind us, exclaimed loudly, "What the fuck?!"

What the fuck indeed.

* * *

Peeves had struck again, it seemed, but his destruction was dismissed cursorily by Percy, who was watched eagerly by the first years, who had come up behind us in the ensuing chaos of stopping everyone just inside the portrait hole. "Nothing to see here, scamps. Upstairs, all of you!"

Minutes later, everyone was unpacking.

"Evans!" I jumped at the voice, huskier and much more appealing than it ought to have been.

Almost everyone was unpacking, apparently. He finally surveyed the mess and shot me a questioning glance. I shrugged, muttering, "Peeves."

Potter strode farther into the room and began picking up the overturned chairs and tables. I sighed, but returned to my task of putting dusty tomes back into the bookcases.

Minutes, ones that felt like hours, passed as we set the common room to rights. I shuffled to the remnants of a chess board on the floor, surrounded by its not altogether happy pieces. But, as I knelt, I felt Potter come to join me, done with his own work. We stayed silent as the pieces were returned to a nearby table, from whence they moved into their original positions. It was, however, my luck that when the last Queen was returned, and my eyes sought the floor no longer, that I would be very close indeed to one James Potter.

His hair was messy, as always, and his uniform offered no illusions that he was not a stickler for rules. But his head was bent, searching for any elusive rooks, and he appeared, oddly, adorable.

James looked up, satisfied that no pieces would lie face-down all night or get eaten by a cat, and noticed he was barely more than a foot away from me. I could feel his breath on my cheek as his eyes sought mine, searching, it seemed, my soul for answers. An answer was found, for he promptly reached forward with one hand and smoothed an errand hair from my cheek to behind an ear. My eyes shut involuntarily. I felt his lips brush mine.

A painting of three young Renaissance ladies, askew from the melée, emitted giggles and taunted, "Get a room."

I squeaked and decided that that moment would probably be a good one to seek my own.

* * *

It was late by the time I trudged up to my dormitory, hair dishevelled and uniform skewed, which, I soon learnt, was at the top of the girls' staircase. My mind was a mess from my... interaction with Potter downstairs and I changed quickly into my nightclothes without much processing of my actions.

Did he kiss me? Perhaps he didn't. No, he didn't. It was more just him fixing my hair, and my eyes were shut, and I imagined it. Imagined it, yes.

I threw myself down on the bed with Jane Eyre, knowing that the angst of her poor orphaned childhood would draw me away from my own problems.

Hours passed in happy solitude from my thoughts until, just as Jane was about to leave Lowood, I heard a 'thump' from below and a ghastly howl of pain.

My book quickly discarded, I grasped my wand and tiptoed down the stairs.

* * *

"Potter?"

"Evans?" He scrambled up from the floor, placing one hand on the arm of the chair to steady himself and the other on his head.

I withheld a laugh, "What on earth are you doing down here?"

"I'm sleeping! Or... I was sleeping. Until I fell off my chair and hit my head." Potter frowned, "What are you doing here?"

"You made a bit of noise when you fell."

"Oh, right. Daly, you know Daly, right? Emerson? Hm, yes. He snores rather loudly, which is odd since I never see him any other time than when he's sleeping, so the boys are all camped out in my room to avoid the..." He broke off and began trying to emulate the apparently raucous snores of the seventh year Gryffindor.

"So you're telling me that an enigmatic boy called Emerson Daly, a boy I'd never heard of until tonight, strangely enough, forced three boys out of their room and into your room, all of which forced you to sleep down here?"

"Hm? Uh, yes?"

"Right. Evening, Potter." I moved toward the staircase, utterly exhausted.

"What?! You can't just leave, Evans!"

I sighed, stepping back into the common room. "Why not?"

"W-we should talk at some point, I suppose, if we're going to try and get on this year..."

"Okay..."

"Good."

"Yeah."

We stood there awkwardly silent, ten feet away from each other, both barefoot and in our pyjamas.

"So... how were your holidays?"

I looked up, "Good! They were rather fun, actually. Exactly what I needed before my last year of school. Not that I don't enj-"

Potter chuckled.

"I get it, Evans," he paused for a second and I could see his eyes change, as if he were mentally preparing himself or making a big decision. "I heard you and Sirius had a lot of... uh... fun."

"We did." I smiled at the memory, "But it's nice to be back, you know, with everyone else. Got a bit boring with him around sometimes, to be honest. How were, uh, yours?"

"Alright, alright. Broke up with Harriet, which was probably for the best. Nasty streak, she had."

We lapsed back into silence, my thoughtless question making things awkward once more. We'd both moved closer to each other, Potter sitting on the armrest of his chair and me leaning against the back of another.

"So..." I offered. "What else to talk about?"

He ruffled his hair, smiling at his bare feet, "Well, honestly, I'm actually pretty tired. I just wanted to ask about getting on. See you at breakfast?"

"Yeah. You know… you're not so bad."

"I s'pose I ought to say thanks, Evans."

"Well, it _was_ a compliment… Potter."

"If you'd ever actually given me a shot as a mate, you might have realised I'm not as insufferable as you make me out to be, Lily."

"I _know _you're much better than I give you credit for, I was just never able to say it," I shrugged, uncomfortable with sharing with my (former? current?) enemy. I shuffled to the staircase, ready to go to sleep.

Potter smirked, "If we keep on spending this amount of time together, we might have to consider ourselves friends."

I turned. "Now, James, there's nothing wrong with that."

As I snuck back into my room, making sure not to make too much noise, I couldn't help picturing the enormous grin that had plastered the Head Boy's face when I'd called him James.

* * *

_Lily, snuggled in her blankets despite the warmth of the night, was happy; she was Head Girl, James wasn't a git and she was back at Hogwarts with her friends. Her feelings were utterly confused. Her heart beat like an irregular drum when she thought about her... friend. He was attractive, she'd always agreed with that, he was smart, he was nice... and he seemed to fancy her. It was shaping up to be a good year. _

_James, attempting to read a Quidditch magazine and failing miserably, was confused; he'd liked Evans at one point, he did, but it was time he got over his fancying, despite any and all encouraging events that had taken place during the day. James decided to try and date. Harriet was in the past. Evans was in the past. __Friends. Evans had agreed to be friends. Perhaps it wouldn't be such a bad year after all. _

_That was the first night since he'd met her that James Potter did not dream about Lily Evans._


End file.
